- 250g/9oz strong white flour
- pinch salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 115g/4¼oz caster sugar
- 25g/1oz butter, softened
- 150ml/5fl oz water
- 20g/¾oz easy-blend yeast
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 300ml/½ pint full-fat milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out using a knife
- 6 free-range egg yolks
- 110g/4oz caster sugar
- 300ml/10½fl oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
- 110ml/4fl oz water
- 200g/7oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- For the cinnamon doughnuts, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, half a teaspoon of the ground cinnamon, 40g/1½oz of the caster sugar and all of the butter, water and yeast until well combined. Keep mixing for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture comes together as a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and set aside for one hour to prove.
- When the doughnut dough has doubled in size, divide it into eight equal portions and roll each into a ball.
- Line a tray with baking parchment and space out the dough balls onto it, leaving plenty of room between each ball. Set aside in a warm place to rise for a further 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 150C/320F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Carefully lower the dough balls into the hot oil in batches and deep fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
- When the excess oil has drained off the doughnuts, mix together the remaining tablespoon of ground cinnamon and the remaining 75g/2¾oz of sugar and sprinkle onto a plate. Dredge the doughnuts in the mixture until completely coated.
- For the cinnamon ice cream, bring the milk, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds to a simmer in a pan, stirring regularly. When the milk is simmering, remove the vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks and discard (they can be cleaned well and reused in another recipe).
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
- Pour the milk mixture over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously until well combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- When the ice cream mixture has cooled slightly, strain it through a fine sieve over the whipped cream. Whisk until smooth and well combined, then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker. Churn for 40-50 minutes, or until almost solid, then transfer to a freezeable container and chill in the freezer.
- For the chocolate sauce, bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the chocolate pieces and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To serve, place two cinnamon doughnuts into the centre of each of four serving plates. Serve a scoop of cinnamon ice cream alongside and drizzle over the chocolate sauce.